Izumi is funny. She seems determined that Shisui or Itachi ae going to jump out somewhere and either prove that she hadn't been training me or see that she is. She much prefers the second option, from what I can tell.

It's nice having a teacher that actually focuses on you. Iruka is nice, patient and kind, but he also has so many students that he cannot concentrate on any one student. And Suzume-sensei is, well… she's her. I have a feeling I am learning more during these short summer months than I ever did during the long gruelling hours of the academy.

I sense around eagerly and feel a young chakra signature light up on my radar and appear in my mini map. Even if I am not using chakra until I can figure out how much I can use before my eyes become… noticeable or find a way to stop the effect entirely, I can still practice without chakra out in public.

Sensing Profiency Level has risen X1

Sensing Proficiency Level 100 (MAX)

Ability to sense or detect others based on their energy signature and pick out details about them. To double range and accuracy cost varies energy type per minute depending on accuracy wanted. (Available energies to sense- chakra, killing intent) Range increase per level by 5 m, accuracy and details increase per level and closer to you the person is. Current range 500m.

Well, I've been waiting for this.

Skill has Evolved!

Sensing Expertise Level 1

Ability to sense, detect, and analyze the energy signatures of others. Increase range and accuracy by a factor of x5 cost 100-500 chakra per minute depending on accuracy wanted. (Available energies to sense- chakra, killing intent) Base range 500 m, range increase per level 15 m, accuracy and detail increases per level and at closer range to target. Current range 515 m.

Oh… wow… both skills have changed. To sense within twice the normal range, the cost 'varies' in guessing based on what I want for extension and detail. But with this next stage of the skill… five times my range… that's… that's crazy. Right now, I could sense 2575m in all directions if I wanted to… that's over two and a half kilometres!

Just the thought makes me dizzy thinking about how it's tricky to adjust my range when I increase it. I can… I can actually already feel the effects too of increased detail. Izumi's chakra feels brighter, the animals' chakra around me feels stronger, and easier to track and… is that chakra remnants?

Not to mention now my range will expand much faster… yikes, no one must ever know about this.

"Hey, Izumi-Senpai?" I ask, and Izumi turns to face me.

"Want to meet up with Itachi-san, and Sasuke-san?" I ask because we are literally just about to run into them, and well, if I play down my sensing skills, it will be easier to hide the full extent, given some people already know.

Izumi looks confused, and then just as we cross some bushes, she comes face to face with Itachi.

To be honest, I'd rather avoid the brothers, but I know that Izumi LOVES Itachi. It looks like they are training too, judging by the shuriken and kunai littering the clearing. I feel a tiny flicker of chakra and slowly turn my head to see an Uchiha with fluffy, (fluffy, not spiky) hair and an amused grin sitting on a taller tree branch.

"Looks like your girlfriend wasn't lying 'Tachi-chan. She actually does have a brat." Said fluffy-haired Uchiha says, and Itachi blushes. Let me reintegrate. Itachi blushes.

"Shisui." Itachi says in a slightly annoyed tone, and I feel Sasuke's questioning gaze. Well, I don't really care what he thinks. (Though I may keep this little meet-up a secret from Ami).

"Alright, alright, I'll leave all you love birds be..." Shisui dismisses a cocky look in his face as his words send both Uchiha brothers into a frozen state of shock, and wow, do they look alike when wearing the EXACT same expression!

"Shisui..." Itachi bites out, this time with a tone of distinct warning.

"No, no, say no more, though, when you have a minute... We need to talk, Itachi." Shisui says the last part is no longer light and carefree though he tries to hide it. I can feel Itachi stiffen his agitated chakra calming to an icy chill of control.

"Izumi... Can you watch Sasuke for a minute?" Itachi asks, his face like stone and his voice hard, but his eyes are not. They worried. Izumi nods happily though I think she can tell that something is up. I feel sympathy for the two teens. It's hard (as I have discovered firsthand) to handle this world and all of the political traps and LITTERAL traps. I wonder if that might be part of the reason Izumi likes me, or understands me to some degree since she's spent time arouse others in similar situations. (though, thank kami, I am not being pressured toward genocide)

"Sure thing, he can join Sayori-chan and me." Izumi easily conceeds, and Sasuke seems to break out of his confusion-induced shock.

"But Nii-chan! You promised to train me..." assume whines tugging on Itachi's arm. Itachi smiles at his younger brother. I can tell that his face is one of pure love even from here. He bends over my eyes widen.

"Sorry, Ototo, some other time, ok?" Itachi says, poking Sasuke on the forehead, and before Sasuke can recover, both he and Shisui disappear in a spiral of wind, leaves, and chakra. Once it's clear, they are gone, Izumi returns to 'training mode.'

"Looks like you have a dancing partner Sayori-chan!" Izumi says all happy like.

"I don't dance..." Sasuke grinces pouting and turning his head away with his arms crossed in the classic 'I'm not listening to you' fashion.

"Oh yeah, you do. All Uchiha can dance!" Izumi declares, and thus begins my first actual training session with Sasuke Uchiha.

POV Ami

Yesterday was so weird! Actually, things have been really weird ever since Sayori got hurt. I don't even know how she got hurt, to begin with! When I asked, the Akimichi's said that it was an accident and didn't say anything else. I tried to ask for details but was shot down. I asked googly-eyes herself, but she just gave me a concealed frustrated and slightly sad look. I'm getting really good at reading her. The confusion made me think maybe she didn't even know, but the sadness made me back off.

Staying with the Akimichi clan was both amazing and terrifying. It turns out they aren't as scary as the matron would always say that ninjas are. It makes sense since, as Sayori told me, I am going to be a ninja too, but to be fair, I INTEND to be scary.

I've been working on my poisons. I have a feeling I may have use for them soon since Kasumi and Fuki said I was letting Ino and Sakura get too comfortable and ignoring them. I was probably spending time with Sayori, so I don't mind ignoring them a little, but why I would be lax with my BIGGEST competitor (not that I'll ever tell Ino that compliment) and miss oh-so-perfect massive forehead (it's not that big but with insults what works works) I don't know. My thoughts drift back to Sayori and some… other people, but I'm not sure who, and the thought disappears and leaves me feeling slightly cold, so I ignore it.

Either way, my poisons are useful, and even if I may be getting sick a lot and worrying Googly-eyes (I wonder if she knows how much it means to me that she even worries), they are working. I've only gotten really sick once or twice. I vomitted, and Sayori held up my hair, and I held back hers after my first attempt went worse than expected. But since then, no vomiting, mostly just itching, but then Sayori bought this nice cream that makes the itching stop after I'm down with the poison.

Still, there is only so much I can do that is self-taught. There's also only so much information available to civilians, even academy students. Then yesterday, something awesome happened. I was walking around. Kasumi was out with her parents, and Fuki had gone on vacation outside the village, and I got this weird feeling someone was watching me. Maybe I've just been spending too much time listening to Sayori since she seems too tense sometimes. She's a sensor, so she knows when people are around so she would tell me, wouldn't she?

Wait, how do I know she's a sensor? How do I know what a sensor is? I get a strange chill, and the thoughts go away.

Anyway, I felt I was being watched, and so I was a little tense and tried to run. Then I heard a sound in the alleyway and saw a big and menacing bird and felt really embarrassed. But the bird flew away, and I wondered what it was doing so close to the ground, but I moved forward and saw what it was sitting on. An old book with pages turned soft from years, decades perhaps of use. The cover was so old, the title so scratched, the ink so faded I could barely tell what it said at all. But when I made out what it said, my eyes widened. 'Namiashi Poisons and Brews' POISONS. The book is large and thick and old and PERFECT. This is a real poison expert's guide, not just some makeshift or dumbed-down book. This is real. Apparently, someone is stupid enough to throw it away, but it's all the better for me. I pick up the book carefully, totally ready to brag to Sayori at home, but I can't help but read it as I walk, my grin becoming larger and larger as I thank my lucky stars for the weirdo menacing bird.

I opened the door and what I see shocks me. To anyone else they might feel the eerie emptiness in the air coming from the girl with pale blond hair and deep blue eyes but to me… like I said, I am getting really good at reading Googly-eyes, which is quite the achievement given she has a really good poker face. (Anyone who survives on their own gets one) still, I can tell that under all the blankness, she is sad, and scared, and well, I don't know what, but it's a lot, and it is not good. I hesitate but sit next to her on the couch, hugging her like I've seen some parents do their kids at the park. (The same way that Sayori has done for me, the same way I wish I had a parent to do me.) she seems to tense before relaxing, and I don't know what to do next.

"This world is so messed up." She murmurs, and I can't help but agree when I really think about it.

"Ya, Googly-eyes, it is," I tell her because there is no use denying it. We stay that way for a while,

As I said, yesterday was weird. It was happy, and then it was sad, and now as I look at my book, I feel a mix of things. I don't even comment about how Sayori is going to hang out with that Uchiha girl who is apparently teaching her to get close to Sasuke's brother? I don't really get it, but I guess if he's anything like Sasuke-Kun…

Well, I'll rant about it later. Now time to learn more about how certain poisons can triple or quadruple the effectiveness of another.